Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs. READ MORESHARE

Patriot Bioenergy Corp. joined the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association and sees value in industrial hemp for biomass blending with bituminous coal for power generation as well as a possible cellulosic feedstock for biofuels.READ MORESHARE

Two biogas plants have recently been completed in Washington and California. Both will generate electricity to power onsite operations, but the California facility will also produce a liquid transportation fuel to power a truck fleet. READ MORESHARE

The U.K. has committed to sourcing 15 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020, and biomass is expected to pay a crucial role in this goal by delivering low carbon sources of heat, power and liquid fuels.READ MORESHARE

Algae biofuel research being completed at Qatar University was toured by Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, president of the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, during his trip to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. READ MORESHARE

Funded by a $650,000 grant by the U.S. DOE Office of Biomass Program, Adeniyi Lawal of Stevens Institute of Technology will be leading a team investigating microalgae as a biomass fuel source.READ MORESHARE

On Dec. 7, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission elected to begin implementation of the state's Clean Fuels Program. A spokeswoman for the Oregon DEQ confirmed the commission voted four to one to implement the the proposed rules for phase one. READ MORESHARE

A Savannah, Ga., export terminal once used for the export of the paper industry product kaolin clay, will now give Enova Wood Pellet Group LLC a 1.35 million metric ton per year wood pellet export capacity at a single port. READ MORESHARE

The government of Nova Scotia has sold a 30 MW biomass-fired cogeneration facility to Emera Inc. for $25 million. The Brooklyn Energy facility was recently purchased by the government as a part of a larger deal with Resolute Forest Products. READ MORESHARE

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has announced that Dublin-based Green Power Solutions will open a power plant at an existing paper mill in Laurens County, creating 35 permanent jobs with an initial capital investment of $95 million. READ MORESHARE

The World Bioenergy Association released a new biomass fact sheet at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December. The document asserts that theories on carbon debt and "payback time" of biomass are not credible. READ MORESHARE

Verenium Corp., an industrial biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, announced on Dec. 10 the signing of a $22.5 million secured debt financing with Athyrium Opportunities Fund.READ MORESHARE